Biography
One of the most popular stars of Hong Kong films of the early 1990s, the compact,
charismatic Jet Li was at one time considered the heir to the late Bruce Lee. A
child prodigy in martial arts, he excelled in the high-kicking "wu shu" style,
winning several national championships and traveling around the world (including
a 1974 US visit to the Nixon White House). Before turning 20, Jet Li made his
film debut as a fighting priest in "Shaolin Temple" (1982), which was banned in
Taiwan but proved popular throughout Asia. After two sequels, "Shaolin Temple II:
Kids From Shaolin" (1984) and "Shaolin Temple III: Martial Arts of Shaolin"
(1986), both of which showcased his talents, Jet made his directorial debut with
the unsuccessful "Born to Defend" (also 1986). 5Since he had only been earning a
limited salary, Jet Li obtained a two-year exit permit and settled in San
Francisco with a Chinese actress who would briefly become his wife. "The Master"
(filmed in San Francisco in 1989 but not released until 1992) was a minor
modern-day kung fu thriller, more notable as the first time Jet Li worked with
director Tsui Hark. Instead of returning to China in 1990, the actor settled in
Hong Kong, where he attempted to rejuvenate his sagging career by signing with
Golden Harvest. His breakthrough screen role came in 1990 when Tsui Hark cast
him as real-life folk hero Wong Fei Hung in "Once Upon a Time in China". Despite
critical carping over Jet Li's relative youth and his training in another
martial arts discipline, the period piece offered the performer a strong role
and he more than met the challenges exhibiting the requisite stoic aura. He went
on to reprise the role in two sequels (in 1992), but an ankle injury forced the
use of a double in several fight sequences. Nevertheless, Jet Li dominated the
films in a role many felt he was born to play. The actor, however, felt
financially underappreciated and after a series of disputes parted company with
Golden Harvest. (He was replaced by another actor for two sequels before
resuming the franchise in 1997's "Once Upon a Time in China and America", which
can be qualified as a kung fu Western.) Over a five year period (1992-97), Jet
Li appeared in over two dozen films of varying quality. He scored as another
martial artist folk hero "Fong Sai Yuk" (1993) and played his signature role of
Wong Fei Hung in the uneven "The Last Hero in China" (also 1993), which he also
produced. Additionally, he starred in the biopics "Tai Chi Master" (also 1993)
and "New Legend of Shaolin" (1994), By the time of "Black Mask" (1996), an
attempt to create a new franchise based on a popular Hong Kong comic book, his
career was on the wane once again. Despite numerous offers from bigwigs like
Oliver Stone and Quentin Tarantino, Jet Li took his time following fellow HK
actors Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Chow Yun-Fat to L.A. At one
time he was attached to a Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle and withdrew just before
filming. Finally, in 1998, Jet Li appeared in his first American studio film,
playing the martial artist villain opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in "Lethal
Weapon 4". It would remain to be seen if the handsome actor's galvanizing screen
presence could be transplanted in a Hollywood blockbuster.

Filmography
Lord of the Wu Tang
Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
The One (2001)
Romeo Must Die (2000)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
The Hitman (1998)
Black Mask (1997)
Once Upon A Time In China And America (1997)
My Father Is a Hero (1995)
High Risk (1995)
The New Legend of Shaolin (1994)
Fist of Legend (1994)
The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994)
Fong Sai-Yuk (1993)
Fong Sai-Yuk 2 (1993)
Once Upon a Time in China III (1993)
The T'ai Chi Master (1993)
Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)
Swordsman II (1992)
Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
The Master (1989)
Born to Defence (1988)
Martial Arts of Shaolin Temple (1985)
Kids From Shaolin (1984)
The Shaolin Temple (1982)